Shell makes big deepwater oil discovery in Gulf of Mexico

(Reuters) - Oil major Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L) said its U.S. unit had made one of its biggest oil discoveries in the past decade in the Whale deepwater well in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.

The Whale is operated by Shell and co-owned by U.S. oil giant Chevron Corp (CVX.N).

“Evaluation of the discovery was ongoing, and appraisal drilling is underway to further delineate the discovery and define development options,” Shell Offshore Inc said in a statement without giving figures.

Shell has three Gulf of Mexico deepwater projects under construction — Appomattox, Kaikias and Coulomb Phase 2. It has added more than one billion barrels of oil equivalent (boe) resources in the last decade in the Gulf of Mexico.

The company said it expected global deepwater production to exceed 900,000 boe per day by 2020, from already established areas.